By: SASE Singh; M.Sc. – Finance, ACCA.
Watching the struggle by Team Granger to do right after this No Confidence Motion Vote (NCMV) can leave any rational mind in shock. Why does such a straightforward issue have to be this complicated? Why all this flip-flopping on an essentially very simple issue? It is disgusting to observe the intellectual degradation of Team Granger as they advance to the point of comedy, so much so that one of them used the case of the slow-motion camera for the third umpire as another reason for their nonsensical positions.
The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Bharat Jagdeo, seems to be one of the few in the political arena with a thinking head on his shoulders. What I saw Mr. Jagdeo offering was a “willingness to talk” attitude that is backed by a road map populated by constitutional solutions. On the other hand, members of the Coalition Government exhibited an attitude of desperation, naked political opportunism, and power hungriness as if “them puppa left Guyana in his last will” exclusively for them.
The nation is now moving into a national emergency as we advance to March 21, 2019. As time progresses, the nation will become even more paralysed unless President David Granger stops all this tomfoolery and makes some decisions by delivering on the spirit and intent of the Guyana Constitution. Like it or lump it, the elections timetable has been set by the Constitution, and these elections will be held in 2019, no matter how much the PNC/APNU/AFC tries to hides from the people.
Immediately after the vote, the Government Members of Parliament (MPs) collectively held a press conference and accepted that the Coalition Government had fallen. Even President Granger added his two cents and accepted the will of the vote. But their fake commitments to the Constitution were never to be. Within days, the silly excuses started to come out of the rotten wood. The first one was the use of the number 34 to intellectually rape the art and science of mathematics to advance their agenda and misinterpret the spirit and intent of the Constitution. Then, of course, the citizenship question came up. Why now, and not in 2015, when they were selecting their MPs? Shame on Team Granger for questioning this matter in Court while on the same day appointing a dual citizen as acting Prime Minister.
Today Team Granger stand exposed as their intent to stall for time is unsheathed. But let it be known that after March 21, 2019, unless they secure the agreement of Mr. Jagdeo, Guyana will be having an illegal and dictatorial Government in place clutching at straws as they squat in their seats. If they feel anyone will have sympathy for them other than their blind followers, then they are fools. The Constitution speaks to a road map in these situations, and Team Granger is clearly not following it. Disrespecting the will of the people is disrespecting the rule of law. This never brings good to leaders or the people.
We must learn to live together in this land of many people, all of whom are minorities. But for this to be done successfully, politicians must learn that they must follow the rule of law and live within the boundaries of the intent and spirit of our Constitution. What is expected from Mr. Granger today is cooperation, not conflict. Was it not Mr. Granger who challenged the nation to cooperate with his singing of “Let us Co-operate for Guyana” in 2015? Was he a hypocrite then, or is this his brand of cooperation? It took Mr. Granger 18 days before he received the Leader of the Opposition for talks on the roadmap. What are the reasons for these delays? The nation expected a pathway to progress from those talks, but all it got was a commitment for a meeting between the Chief Whips and GECOM. So Team Granger continues to waste valuable time.
It appears as if GECOM have taken their lead from Mr. Granger and have since refused to meet the Chief Whips until the now sick Chairman is back at work. MORE DELAYS! This is unfortunate, since the entire nation knows that Team Granger is trying to play with the intelligence of the Guyanese people. Let us be clear: if Mr. Granger was doing his job, there would have been no political crisis. Let us be clear: if Mr. Granger had delivered for the people on his 2015 manifesto promises, there would have been no NCMV.
Increasingly, the backbenchers in Parliament on the Government side are getting tired with the performance of their cabinet colleagues. There are some people on the backbenches who cannot stand the aloofness, arrogance and incompetence of their Cabinet colleagues. Some have even gone further and complained about the wanton corruption at all levels in the Government. Accept the inevitable Mr. Granger, and start doing the right thing by respecting our Constitution. Place your fate in the hands of the people. Because what the people want the people must get, and will get, and no amount of stalling will change this outcome. So it is written, and so it shall be done!
